Borrower of the Night: The First Vicky Bliss Mystery

It began as a game, a treasure hunt in an old German castle. For Vicky Bliss, tall, beautiful, and brilliant, it is also a challenge, a chance to bring an arrogant young man down a notch or two. And all things considered, it would have been no contest.

Naked Once More

Elizabeth Peters has attracted a huge following of listeners with her ability to deliver snappy stories, witty dialogue, and appealing characters. In Naked Once More, Peters creates a heroine you won't soon forget, the flamboyant Jacqueline Kirby, popular author and outspoken ex-librarian.

Crocodile on the Sandbank: The Amelia Peabody Series, Book 1

Amelia Peabody embarks on her first Egyptian adventure armed with unshakable self-confidence, a journal for her thoughts, and, of course, a sturdy umbrella. On her way, she rescues Evelyn Barton-Forbes, who has been "ruined" and abandoned on the streets of Rome by her lover. With a typical disregard for convention, Amelia promptly hires her fellow countrywoman as a companion and takes her to Cairo, where strange visitations and a botched kidnapping convince Amelia that there is a plot afoot to harm Evelyn.

The Camelot Caper

Jessica Tregarth goes to England to visit her grandfather; an invitation that surprises and pleases her. The only link she has with her dead father's family is an antique ring he brought with him to America. This will be a chance to learn more about who she is; it will be fun.

Crowned and Dangerous

Nothing is simple when you're 35th in line for the British crown, least of all marriage. But with love on their side and plans to elope, Lady Georgiana Rannoch and her beau, Darcy O'Mara, hope to bypass a few royal rules....

A Quiet Life in the Country: A Lady Hardcastle Mystery, Book 1

Lady Emily Hardcastle is an eccentric widow with a secret past. Florence Armstrong, her maid and confidante, is an expert in martial arts. The year is 1908 and they've just moved from London to the country, hoping for a quiet life. But it is not long before Lady Hardcastle is forced out of her self-imposed retirement. There's a dead body in the woods, and the police are on the wrong scent. Lady Hardcastle makes some enquiries of her own, and it seems she knows a surprising amount about crime investigation...

Summer of the Dragon

So, a thousand a month, all expenses, the opportunity to spend some time on an Arizona ranch...it was everything a young graduate student trying to prove herself might want. And it was...until Hank suffered an accident, then disappeared.

The Dancing Floor

For years Heather Tradescant had dreamed of the journey she and her father would take to England - a pilgrimage to the great gardens of history. Now that her father is dead, Heather is determined to fulfill his dreams. Unfortunately her request to see the fabled 17th-century garden of Troytan House is denied by the owner. Though unwelcome, she braves the walls of briars and reaches the Victorian manor house beyond. She senses a strange mission of evil lurking, tainting the manor's peaceful beauty.

The Jackal's Head

Althea Tomlinson comes back to Egypt as just another tourist, showing the country to a spoiled 17-year-old girl. That's what she tells herself, anyway. Really, though, what drives her is a desire to discover the truth behind her father's disgrace and subsequent death.

Publisher's Summary

Adventure and romance enter Vicky Bliss' life in the form of a black-and-white photograph of a woman covered from head to toe in gold jewels. This "Trojan Gold" has an intriguing history, but it is the envelope that piques Vicky's curiosity. It is a grimy brown, with no return address, and it appears to have been soaked in blood.

The setting is a German museum, where our sleuth gets a photo of an ancient treasure in the mail. The envelope is tinged with blood and on closer inspection, the treasure in shown being worn by a contemporary woman....and our sleuth is off to a ski chalet in the mountains of Germany chasing clues. Followed by a known jewel thief and an unknown treasure hunter, Vicky tries to track down the ancient gold of Troy. She also has to worry about keeping her boss, a funny litte Santa of a man who fancies he is Sherlock Holmes, and herself safe. Amongst all this treasure hunting, we are treated to a wonderful description of Christmas in a small German town, and a variety of characters that are fun to meet. As usual, Barbara Rosenblatt is an awesome reader.

Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series is my favorite; however, the Vicky Bliss series is very good also. I especially liked Tojan Gold because it best features Vicky's boss, Herr Professor Schmidt, a truly hilarious character that needs to be featured more often.

Ok I will admit that after the third book I was getting REAL familiar with the formula of the series. I was chalking it up to the fact that I plowed through the whole series in one go, but this one changed my mind. Of course we have the great-established set of characters that we have come to love, but we also have a very different end to the book. It does not clean up neatly, and I must say that I still love John?s ?Marry Poppins? comings and goings.

Like many of you, I love to read, but I am time-limited. Audiobooks allow me to keep up with my favorite authors. I am currently listening to 'Undead and Unstable' by MaryJanice Davidson, because 'Yours, Mine and Ours' is still not available. Grrr.

This is a series about Vicky who is a trouble-prone art historian and John the art theft who keeps getting Vicky out of trouble. In this installment, Vicky and her boss, Anton Schmidt, are looking for the legendary gold of Troy. I think this is the best book in the series, because it really does portrait the cold war accurately. Trojan Gold took me back to a Reagan world. It was a fun visit, but I am so glad it is gone. Schmidt is also a central character in this book. And I am so glad he is, because he is the best part of this series. Barbara Rosenblat is always wonderful!

Combine Elizabeth Peters story telling abilities with Barbara Rosenblat's performances and you get Magic! I have listened to all these series and Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody mysteries performed by Barbara Rosenblat and you just can't miss. It's addicting....I highly recommend it.

It is hard to believe this is from the same author as the Amelia Peabody series. Although both female leads are smart and successful, Vicky Bliss is much more to my taste. She, and the story, are much more modern that the Egyptologist's world Amelia lives in. I was pleased this story is about the Trojan gold discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in the 1870s - one of my favorite adventures in archeology. Unfortunately, Vicky takes many foolish decisions, putting herself and the ones she loves at risk (why do so many heroes take steps that leave the reader shouting "don't do it!"?). But it all comes out well in the end: the mystery is solved and she finds herself realizing that she loves and is loved by her many friends. A fun story. The narration clearly differentiates between the characters and adds a little personality to each.

This is a series about Vicky who is a trouble-prone art historian and John the art theft who keeps getting Vicky out of trouble. In this installment, Vicky and her boss, Anton Schmidt, are looking for the legendary gold of Troy. I think this is the best book in the series, because it really does portrait the cold war accurately. Trojan Gold took me back to a Reagan world. It was a fun visit, but I am so glad it is gone. Schmidt is also a central character in this book. And I am so glad he is, because he is the best part of this series. Barbara Rosenblat is always wonderful!

Elizabeth Peters' Vicky Bliss series mercilessly spoofs the (eminently spoofable) romance genre of novel-writing. With "Trojan Gold," she takes the spoof right over the top, plop into romance. Yes, the elusive Sir John finally declares his love for Vicky, our beautiful heroine. "Trojan Gold" refers back, multiple times, to "Borrower of the Night," the first novel in the Vicky Bliss series; so you will want to listen to that entry, at least, before starting this one. (I advise listening to them all, in sequence, for the most fun.) "Trojan Gold" has more length and more plot complexity than the previous entries, and, therefore even more entertainment value. Yet, despite the light-hearted fluffiness of the Vicky Bliss series, Peters' intelligence and skill always shine through. In order to distinguish her fiction from her scholarly tomes, prolific author and eminent Egyptology scholar Barbara Mertz uses the pen name "Elizabeth Peters" for her Amelia Peabody series, her Vicky Bliss series, her Jacqueline Kirby series, and many other stand-alone novels. She also writes spoof-gothic fiction under the pen name "Barbara Michaels." (I have set myself the pleasant task of listening to every one of this brilliant woman's novels. I'll probably pass on the scholarly tomes.) Taken in conjunction with Barbara Rosenblat's inspired narration, you can hardly do better. Go for it.

She has the wonderful ability with her voice to keep the characters straight in the listener's mind even if she doesn't say who is speaking.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

I have listened to alot of Elizabeth Peters books, especially the Amelia Peabody Emerson series. A couple of Peters' books in the Vickie Bliss series are read by another narrator and just don't "cut the mustard"! Too bad - I've missed out on Vickie's adventures!